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Home Recipe Index Baked Goods Muffins & Sweet Breads

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

★★★★★ 5 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Rachel Tiemeyer
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 6/19/23Updated: 9/20/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These healthy Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins are one of the best ways to use up zucchini and eat some sneaky veggies. They turn out moist and decadent but are filled with all real food ingredients you can feel good about. Kids and adults love these for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins stacked on a plate
Table of Contents
  • Ingredients
  • Tip: How to Freeze Shredded Zucchini
  • How to Make Zucchini Muffins
  • Can You Freeze Zucchini Muffins?
  • Variations and Substitutions
  • Why Is White Whole Wheat Flour So Important?
  • More Zucchini Recipes You’ll Love
  • Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide

Ingredients

Here are the stars of this Zucchini Muffin show…

  • Cooking spray
  • White whole wheat flour – Regular whole wheat flour works but the cake will be a little denser than with white whole wheat flour. The best substitution would be half whole wheat and half all purpose flour.
  • Baking soda – For leavening.
  • Ground cinnamon and Salt – For seasoning.
  • Avocado oil – We love the neutral flavor and high smoke point of avocado oil, but melted, cooled coconut oil would work, too.
  • Honey – I haven’t tested this with pure maple syrup but that would be my go-to for a honey replacement. Note: It will alter the flavor some and be a little sweeter than honey. Leave a comment and let me know if you try this.
  • Eggs
  • Plain Greek yogurt – Nonfat is fine. Use vanilla Greek yogurt if you want to make these even sweeter.
  • Vanilla extract
  • Finely shredded zucchini – Make sure to squeeze most of the excess moisture out by wringing it in a hand towel or pressing on it in a colander over the sink. This is an important step.
  • Mini chocolate chips
zucchini chocolate chip muffin batter ingredients laid out and labeled
shredded zucchini

Tip: How to Freeze Shredded Zucchini

If you have extra zucchini that you can’t use up, go ahead and shred it and freeze it! Here’s how…

How to Freeze Zucchini

How to Make Zucchini Muffins

Find the detailed, printable recipe at the bottom, but here’s an overview of how this recipe goes…

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. (You can also use paper liners or silicone liners if you’d like, but they will be very full!)

Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

dry ingredients for zuccchini chocolate chip muffins

Wet Ingredients

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, eggs, Greek yogurt, and vanilla.

wet ingredients for zucchini chocolate chip muffins

Combine

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir just until it starts to come together (do not stir a lot here). Sprinkle the shredded zucchini and mini chocolate chips over the top. Stir until fully combined, being careful not to overmix. The batter will be thick.

dry ingredients being mixed in to wet ingredients for zucchini chocolate chip muffins
zucchini chocolate chip muffin batter - grated zucchini and chocolate chips waiting to be mixed in

Bake

Spoon at least 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into each hole, until each one is filled evenly (they will almost be filled to the top). Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of one comes out mostly clean. Place on a cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffin batter in a muffin pan
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins in a muffin pan

Can You Freeze Zucchini Muffins?

Sure thing! Zucchini Muffins freeze well using this method:

Freeze For Later: Bake muffins as directed in recipe. Let cool completely. Then place in a gallon-sized freezer bag or container, seal tightly, and freeze.

Prepare From Frozen: Thaw muffins in the refrigerator or warm in the microwave.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins in a freezer bag

Variations and Substitutions

This muffin recipe is fairly forgiving, so feel free to make some of these tweaks if you’d like.

  • Dairy-Free Version: Use plain dairy-free milk (like almond milk) and dairy-free chocolate chips like Enjoy Life brand from the health food section.
  • Gluten-Free Version: Use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill brand in place of the wheat flour.
  • Substitute for Honey: I haven’t tested this with pure maple syrup but that would be my go-to for a honey replacement. Note: It will alter the flavor some and be a little sweeter than honey. Leave a comment and let me know if you try this.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins stacked on a plate
white whole wheat flour

Why Is White Whole Wheat Flour So Important?

If you spend much time browsing through our baked goods, you’ll find that we almost always use white whole wheat flour (instead of just “whole wheat flour”). We’ve found that white whole wheat flour yields much fluffier/lighter-tasting results. It works in most recipes as a replacement for whole wheat flour. Here is a bit more about the difference between the two.

Here are some of our favorite recipes that use white whole wheat flour:

  • Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
  • Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

More Zucchini Recipes You’ll Love

If you’re a fan of these Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins, be sure to try some of these other popular recipes. Yum!

chocolate chip zucchini bread sliced

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Chocolate zucchini waffles stacked on a plate and topped with banana slices, peanut butter, and mini chocolate chips.

Chocolate Zucchini Waffles

Zucchini Pancakes

piece of zucchini breakfast cake on a plate with strawberries

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cake

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins on cooling rack
★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

These healthier zucchini chocolate chip muffins turn out moist and decadent but are filled with all real food ingredients you can feel good about. Kids and adults love these for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Yield: 12 Large Muffins 1x
Prep: 20 minutesCook: 20 minutesTotal: 40 minutes
Print Recipe Rate Pin for Later
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Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour*
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup avocado oil (sub: melted, cooled coconut oil)
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (nonfat is fine)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups finely shredded zucchini (that’s had all the excess moisture squeezed out; about 1 medium zucchini)
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

*Regular whole wheat flour works but the cake will be a little denser than with white whole wheat flour.

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. (You can also use paper liners or silicone liners if you’d like, but they will be very full!)
  2. Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Wet Ingredients: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, eggs, Greek yogurt, and vanilla.
  4. Combine: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir just until it starts to come together (do not stir a lot here). Sprinkle the shredded zucchini and mini chocolate chips over the top. Stir until fully combined, being careful not to overmix. The batter will be thick.
  5. Bake: Spoon at least 2 heaping tablespoons of batter into each hole, until each one is filled evenly (they will almost be filled to the top). Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of one comes out mostly clean. Place on a cooling rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Freeze For Later: Bake muffins as directed in recipe. Let cool completely. Then place in a gallon-sized freezer bag or container, seal tightly, and freeze.

Prepare From Frozen: Thaw muffins in the refrigerator or warm in the microwave.


Notes/Tips

  • Dairy-Free Version: Use dairy-free plain Greek-style yogurt and dairy-free chocolate chips like Enjoy Life brand from the health food section.
  • Gluten-Free Version: Use gluten-free 1:1 baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill brand in place of the wheat flour.
  • Substitute for Honey: I haven’t tested this with pure maple syrup but that would be my go-to for a honey replacement. Note: It will alter the flavor some and be a little sweeter than honey. Leave a comment and let me know if you try this.
© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Method: Oven

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Rachel Tiemeyer

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!

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  1. AvatarAmanda says

    Posted on 9/3/23 at 7:32 am

    I made a batch of these to freeze for an easy breakfast before school option. My boys wanted nothing else after the first day. Now I am back to make more!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 9/4/23 at 10:15 am

      Love to hear this Amanda! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

      Reply
  2. AvatarMelanie says

    Posted on 8/25/23 at 8:53 am

    So delicious and moist! A new family favorite.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 8/26/23 at 12:53 pm

      Hi Melanie. Thank you for leaving a review… so glad you’ve got a new favorite for your family!

      Reply

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